Canberra, Australia
Australia clinched a deal this week to supply China with uranium for nuclear power plants. The deal is worth billions of dollars a year to Australia, which is home to 40 percent of the world’s supply of uranium ore but has no nuclear reactors of its own. But Australian opposition parties were critical of the sale, saying the yellowcake might end up in Chinese nuclear bombs. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said “strict safeguards” were in place to prevent such diversion. But he added: “China has a nuclear weapons program whether we like it or not. It’s not going to make the slightest difference whether we have this agreement with China or whether we don’t to their nuclear weapons program.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The six-seven meme that has taken over the worldIn the Spotlight With roots in rap and basketball, the phrase has young people obsessed, and it could be here to stay
-
Five takeaways from Plaid Cymru’s historic Caerphilly by-election winThe Explainer The ‘big beasts’ were ‘humbled’ but there was disappointment for second-placed Reform too
-
A journey through Trinidad’s wild heartThe Week Recommends Experience the island’s natural wonders, from watching baby turtles hatch to visiting an ancient bat cave
